Stories of Crete
History, archaeology, the Minoans, myths and the traditions that still shape the island, written by the people who guide you through it.
Venetian Crete: Fortresses of the Kingdom of Candia
From 1211 to 1669 Crete was the Venetian Regno di Candia. What the Venetians built, from Chania harbour to Frangokastello, and how their rule came to an end.
The Minotaur and the Labyrinth
Minos, Pasiphae, Daedalus, Theseus and Ariadne: the myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth, and how it may echo the maze-like palace of Knossos.
The Olive Tree and Olive Oil in Crete
Crete has grown olives since Minoan times. Meet the island's ancient trees, the winter harvest and the modern mill, and see why oil sits at the heart of the Cretan table.
Samaria village and the church of Osia Maria
The Samaria Gorge took its name from a small church in the village at its heart. Meet the people who once lived there and the reason they left in 1962.
Sfakia and Loutro: The Free Mountains of the South
Sfakia's steep mountains and gorges sheltered generations of rebels. The story of Daskalogiannis, Frangokastello, 1941 and Loutro, a village with no road.
The Minoans: Europe's First Great Civilisation
Who were the Minoans? A clear introduction to Crete's Bronze Age civilisation: the palaces, Linear A, art, trade and the theories about their decline.
Talos, the Bronze Giant Who Guarded Crete
Long before castles and coastguards, the Greeks imagined Crete protected by Talos, a giant of bronze who circled the island and stoned any ship that came too close.
Ancient Lissos and its Asklepieion
Between Paleochora and Sougia lies Lissos, an ancient port with a sanctuary of the healing god Asklepios. No road reaches it, which is part of its magic.
Zeus, Born and Raised in Crete
Rhea, the Kouretes and the goat Amaltheia: the myth of how the infant Zeus was hidden from his father in a Cretan cave, and the mountains linked to it.
The Koules fortress at Aptera
Built by the Ottomans after the Cretan revolt of 1866, the Koules at Aptera still guards the best view of Souda Bay. Here is its story and what you see today.
The Kri-Kri: Meet the Wild Goat of Crete
The kri-kri, or agrimi, is the wild goat of Crete. Learn where it lives, why it is protected and how to spot one in the mountains without disturbing it.
Ancient Aptera: the city on the hill above Souda Bay
Walls, Roman cisterns, a theatre and an old monastery on a plateau above Souda Bay. Ancient Aptera is one of the most rewarding sites in western Crete.